I grew up in Northern California, always dreaming of being a scientist. Although I enjoyed learning about many different fields, a truly memorable undergraduate astronomy class at the University of California: San Diego inspired me to pursue a career in astrophysics. After finishing with degrees in math and physics, I enter the astronomy Ph.D. program at the Ohio State University in Columbus.

While in Ohio, I had the pleasure of working on several projects including X-ray studies of black holes, the declining rotation rates of aging stars, the physical influence of starspots on stellar structure, and precise tests of stellar evolutionary models. My dissertation research under Dr. Marc Pinsonneault focused on how the lithium abundances of solar-type stars inform our understanding of their physical properties and evolutionary life-cycles. I graduated in 2016 and accepted my current position as a VIDA fellow at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

When not doing research, I enjoy traveling, exploring new neighborhoods, playing soccer, rooting for the San Francisco Giants and Ohio State Buckeyes, and reading history books. I occasionally take advantage of the wonderful array of live music performed nightly here in Nashville, and more than occasionally enjoy its local specialty, hot chicken.

Hiking the Great Wall near Beijing in September, 2016

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Moments after defending my Ph.D. thesis